BTW Thomas, I must say that I agree with you tons, but here I disagree. I think Carmenere is a delightful varietal, smooth and creamy. What I like about it is mostly related to texture vs. complexity but its a very easy wine to drink and I think it would certainly appeal to novices. Just MHO

The wonderful thing about wine is that, although grape varieties and varietal wines have a certain unique signature, the winemaking process can either stay out of the way of, enhance or ruin that signature. It's up to the buyer to decide which of the three possibilities is appealing.

Mostly, back when this post was new, the Carmeneres I was tasting from Chile weren't exactly to my liking. But I admit to not having tasted many since, so maybe you have found a few that fit the profile that you describe.

Since 2004, I have come to view every wine as a separate entity, and I have been trying not to make anymore blanket statements about a varietal wine like the one I made for this thread while in my youth